The Barn Presents is now

Reviews Stories

Words: Lisa Torem | Photos: Philamonjaro StudioOn a Wednesday night at Ravinia -- dressed in black, like his collaborator Carlene Carters famous dad, Johnny Cash -- John Mellencamp wasted no time getting in tune for his second performance at the venue. Surrounded by a smoke machine and a background of scrawled graffiti, the stage was...

Words & Photos: Zach Stone | Videos: the1stMikeCOn a beautiful Sunday night, in a park-like setting, Andrew Bird capped an evening of music that brought together a diverse lineup that demonstrated how just how powerful diversity could be in any of its forms.Bird started his set all by himself, but...

Photos: John 'Nunu' ZomotWhile there is a growing number of bands who can actually celebrate their 40th anniversary, there are far fewer that are able to do so in an iconic baseball stadium.Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are on the short list, and they brought the show to Wrigley Field at the...

Words: Robin Zimmerman | Photos: Michael LepekOn a beautiful, breezy June evening, a pair of powerhouse performers kicked off Auroras 21st Annual Blues on the Fox festival in fine fashion.Rising star Shemekia Copeland, along with the iconic Mavis Staples, treated the crowd to a satisfying mlange of music, which ran the gamut from blues and...

By: Nick DraperWhen it comes to Yonder Mountain String Band, a Colorado-based jamgrass band that manages to balance both a modern and throw-back sound, most acolytes will lead with tales of their live performances. They bring true talent and emotion on stage, traits that have netted them no shortage of boosters over the years....

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: @tbergnationU2 sold out two shows at Soldier Field as part of their Joshua Tree Tour, with sets centered around a full performance of their seminal 1987 album.The stage setup matched the bands epic sound, featuring a gigantic, rounded screen the entire width of the football field, in addition to a smaller,...

By: Brian Lirot We arent proud to be back here in Chicago We are humbled... Those were the words spoken by guitarist Luther Dickinson before The North Mississippi All Stars spilled a night of soulful blues-rock down the spines of a packed Lincoln Hall.Luther and brother Cody opened the...

Photos: Tara Gracer2017-04-08-SPAFFORD-Chicago-104Explore tomorrowsverse's photos on Flickr. tomorrowsverse has uploaded 2734 photos to Flickr.It's time to talk about the J word again.Unlike many publications, we're happy to acknolwedge jambands -- to keep our finger on the pulse and look twice at the last few lines of festival bills. ...

Words: Robin Zimmerman | Photos: Howard Greenblatt_DSC3622Explore tomorrowsverse's photos on Flickr. tomorrowsverse has uploaded 2648 photos to Flickr.With driving rain and high winds, it was not a fit night for man or beast. But inside the Copernicus Center, Robin Trower proved why he has been a guitar God since the mid-sixties. The 72-year old...